Phonograph



July 25, 1939. J R LONG 2,167,459

PHONOGRAPH Filed Aug. 23, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z6 Z9 l5 3 26 27 5 /6 IIlllllIlI COO QQOCQD I Hlllllllllllll Illlllll lllll //7I /7 for JohnPoker? 1 any J, R. LONG Jul 25, 1939.

PHONOC-RAPH Filed Aug. 23, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 MW 06 05%. a:

Q MQ //7 yen far John Faber) A any Patented July 25 1939 UNITED STATESPHONOGRAPH John Robert Long, Washington, Ind., assignor of forty-nineone-hundredths to John T. Reinsel, Washington, Ind.

Application August 23, 1937, Serial No. 160,386

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a phonograph having in place of the usual diskor cylinder record, a film with one or more sound tracks formed thereon.It is the primary object of the invention to provide a simplifiedstructure permitting the selection of any one of the records as carriedby the film in the form of a sound track to be reproduced audibly. Inthe form of the phonograph herein shown and described, the entire dewvice is initially set in operation by means of a coin, although theinvention is not necessarily limited to the use of the coin, since thecoin switch may be manually operated in some cases where desired.

15 A further important object of the invention is to secure reproductionof sound with the greatest possible fidelity. Further important objectsand advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed inthe art in the following 20 description of one particular form of theinvention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the phonograph with the top cover brokenaway;

Fig. 2, an end elevation with the end wall removed;

Fig. 3, a front elevation with the front wall partially removed;

Fig. 4, a detail on enlarged scale in rear eleva- 30 tion of part of theselector mechanism;

Fig. 5, a detail in vertical section on an enlarged scale through thedial selector;

Fig. 6, a vertical section on the line '|l in Fig.

Fig. 7, a vertical section on the line 88 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8, a detail in partial section of the coin actuated switch;

Fig. 9, a detail in transverse section illustrating 40 the film drivingmotor stop switch;

Fig. 10, a detail in vertical section showing a light-head motor liftswitch; and

Fig. 11, a Wiring diagram.

Like characters of references indicate like parts 45 throughout thevarious views in the drawings.

In order to supply a sufficient length of film to carry the sound trackof the matter to be reproduced, a film may be carried in the phonographin any suitable manner to permit the film to be carried past thephoto-electric cell and exciter lamp, to permit the film to be rewoundor therein carried so as to be presented again in the same direction oftravel for the next reproduction. In the form herein shown a film I5 isshown in the 6 form of a continuous belt, looped around a plu rality ofsprockets l6, sufiicient in number to carry the required length within acompact space. In this form the sprocket I1 is interposed and is mountedon a bar I8 sliding through a bracket l9 to have a spring 20 normallyurge bar teeth 5 2| into engagement with the lip 22, whereby the bar l8may be pulled through the bracket l9 and held in an extended position soas to apply tension on the film I5. The bracket I 9 and the varioussprockets 6 and H are carried on a floor 23 within the phonographhousing 24. A head 25 is mounted to be retained between and guided invertical travel by two posts 26 and 27 whereby the head is presentedthrough an opening in the floor 23.

This head carries a photo-electric cell unit 28 and an exciter lamphousing 29. Across the opening in the floor is secured to the head afilm plate 30. This plate 30 is mounted so that the unit 28 will be onthe forward side and the unit 29 on the rear side when the head 25 israised and lowered. This plate 30 is given a curved face over which thefilm I5 is drawn between the sprockets 3| and 32, the sprocket 32 beinga driving sprocket mounted on a shaft 33 which extends down- 25 wardlythrough the floor 23. The plate 30 further carries a slot 34, Fig. 3,through which light travels between units 29 and 28.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the shaft 33 carries some type of torsionaldamper, herein shown as 30 a fly wheel 35. The shaft 33 extendsdownwardly to be driven through the worm drive 36 by a motor 31 mountedon a floor 38.

The film |5 carries a plurality of sound tracks 39, herein shown as fourin number and it is therefore necessary to shift the head 25 to properlyalign the beam of light travelling between the units 29 and 28 in orderto have that beam traverse the selected sound track. Normally the head25 is retained in an upper position by means of a 40 pin 40 resting on aretractible latch pin 4|, Fig. 2. Below the latch pin 4| in the path ofthe head pin 40 are additional pins 42, 43, 44 and 45, pins 42, 43 and44 being retractible by magnetic windings thereon and which pinsnormally are extended into the path of the pin 4| by a spring 46 in eachinstance. The pin 45, being the lowest pin, is fixed in position as alower limit stop and is located to cause the head 25 to stop forreproduction from the lowest sound track on the film l5.

Thus to select the desired sound track reproduction, the latch pin 4| isinitially shifted to drop the head 25 and have the head stopped by thepin 40 striking any one of the lower pins minal 63.

i and wire it to the terminal 59.

which has not been withdrawn from the path of the head pin.

In order to return the head to its upper initial position, a cam 48 ismounted on the shaft 49 and revolved through the worm drive 59 by amotor 5I in the path of the head 25, herein shown as in the path of theroller 52 mounted on the underside of the head, whereby by the operationof the motor 5!, the cam 48 will push the head 25 to an upper positionto have the pin 4!] push against the under sides of the various latchpins in its path and push them back out of the way by reason of thebevelled inner ends until the pin 40 is carried above the latch pin (H,at which point the cam 48 leaves contact with the roller 52 to allow thepin 49 to come down and rest upon the latch pin 4| as before.

The photo-electric cell unit 28 is in electric circuit with the usualamplifier 58, details of which do not form part of this presentinvention. The out-put of the amplifier 53 is through a loud speakerunit 54, herein shown as mounted on a forward wall of the housing 24.

In order to set the phonograph into operation a switch 55, Figs. 8 and11, is closed. This switch may be either manually closed, or in the formherein shown, closed by dropping a coin I2 in a slot opening 56, Fig. 3,to have the coin fall down the chute 5?, Fig. 8, to overbalance a bar58, so as to push a switch 55 into a closed position. Upon the closingof this switch 55 a circuit is at once established from a current sourceterminal 59, Fig. 11, through a wire 60, switch 55, exciter lamp 29,amplifier 53, wire BI and wire 62 back to the other current sourceterminal 63. Thus the current is supplied to warm up the amplifier andpower tubes. Also upon the closing of the switch 55, a circuit isestablished from the terminal 59 through the wire 69, switch 55, wire64, relay winding 65, wire 66 and wire 62 to the ter- Upon the currentflow through the winding 55, a relay switch 61 is closed. The closing ofthis switch 6'! establishes a circuit from the terminal 93, through thewire 52, switch 61, wire 68, primary winding 69 of a transformer,

Thus the current from a secondary winding 'II is then made available.

During the preceding circuit closing operations, the film I5 hasremained stationary and the head 25 has remained in its upperinoperative position. Following the deposit of the coin I2, theselection of the particular program desired may then be made byoperating a selector to effect selective closing of circuits with thewindings of the pins 42, 43, and 44 to cause the head 25 to drop down tothe corresponding sound track 39. This selection is made by insertingthe operators finger in a hole I3 of a dial I4 and revolving that dialin a clockwise direction to bring the finger into abutment with a stop15. The dial is provided with a plurality of holes 13, one for each ofthe sound tracks 39 of the film it, four of such holes being provided inthe present form. Back of each of these holes I3 is carried a numberorsome indication of the program to be provided by the correspondingsound tracks. These numbers are placed on the front side of the cover I9of the selector housing.

The dial 74, when turned by the finger as above indicated, is revolvedin opposition to a torsional spring I5, having its outer end fixed tothe selector housing and its inner end fixed to the shaft Ill, carryingthe dial I4.

When the finger strikes the abutment I5, as

above indicated, the finger tip will have come against the lever 11,presented between the dial I4 and the front face of the housing I9. Thislever TI is carried on the outer end of the shaft III which extends intothe selector housing I9 to be rotatably carried thereby. A contact disk89 is fixed to the shaft IT! to turn therewith inside of the housing I9.The outer edge of the contact disk is provided with a plurality ofnotches 8|, one for each of the holes 13 provided in the disk I4. Uponmoving the lever II with the finger, a foot 82 is carried into one ofthese notches 8| and simultaneously another arm 83, on the shaft I8, ishooked into engagement with a pin 84 which forms the armature of asolenoid magnet 85. Upon making this engagement, this arm 83 also closesa switch 86 which closes a circuit including the winding of the magnetso as to retain the engagement of the pin 85 with the arm 83 and therebyhold the contact disk 88 in position in opposition to the return pull ofthe spring 76. The circuit closed by the switch 85 is indicated in Fig.11 as being that circuit including switch 86, wire 81, transformerwinding II, wire 88, wire 89, magnet winding 85, relay winding 99 andwire M.

The relay winding 90 included in this circuit, closes the motor switch92 in the circuit leading from the terminal 63 through the wire 52, wire93, through the switch 92, wire 94, film driving motor 31, wire 95 andwire I0, to the other terminal 59. Thus upon making the selection byturning the dial I4, the film I5 is then set in motion to be pulled overthe plate 30, as above indicated. Going back to the selector op eration,when the dial I4 has been turned by bringing the finger into abutmentwith the stop l5, the contact disk 89 has carried a segment 96 intoengagement with all of the contacts 91, other than the one which isinterconnected with the latch pin on which the head pin 40 will rest inthe position of the used sound track 39. In other words, in the path ofthis segment 96 are carried a plurality of contacts 97, one for each ofthe windings surrounding the respective pins 42, 43 and 44. nect thesewindings with the respective contacts 9! as indicated in the diagram,Fig. 11.

The other side of these latch windings, designated respectively by thenumbers IDI, I02 and IE3, are interconnected through the wire I04, withthe wire 88 leading to the winding II, thence through the wire 81,switch 86, wire 9|, and wire I95, connected with the segment 96 tocomplete the circuit. Supposing that the third sound track from the topis to be used, the dial I4 is turned around by placing a finger in thehole I3 over the number 3 to bring the finger around to abut the stopI5, whereupon the third latch pin 44 remains in an extended positionsince the third winding I93 is left out of that circuit, whereas thewindings IflI and I82 are energized to retract the pins 42 and 43 out ofthe path of the head pin 48, leaving the pin 44 in its path. In otherwords, should the first'sound track be used, the upper pin 42 would notbe retracted; for the second sound track, the pin 42 would be retracted,leaving the pin 43 extended; and for the fourth track, all three of thepins would be retracted.

One other operation remains to be accom plished before the head 25 maybe moved even to the first sound track, to allow the pin 4I to rest on42. The latch pin 4I must be retracted Wires 98, 99 and IUD interconwand this is accomplished by attaching a cable 7 I06 to the other end ofthe latch pin 4| to pull it in opposition to the return spring I01. Thiscable I06 is carried around the pulley I01 and tied by the other end tothe lever I 08 rockably mounted on the bracket I09 extending from therear side of the housing I9, Figs. 5 and '7. This lever I08 is in thepath of the arm IIO, which is fixed to the dial shaft I" so that whenthe dial I4 starts its initial rotation, the arm IIO will immediatelypush against the lever I08 and then pull on the cable I06 to retract thepin 4| and let the head 25 drop at least as far as the first pin 42.Continuous rotation of the shaft I'I'I lets the arm IIO carry past thelever I08 so as to permit the pin 4| to return to its normal position.The arm I I is in two parts, the outer part being hinged so as to permitthe lever III] to return to the opposite side of the lever I08 forreturn travel, the lever I08 then returning to abut a pin III.

Therefore, immediately the selection is made by the operator through thedial I4, the film I is set in operation and the head 25 dropped to aselected sound track position and the program is then reproduced withoutfurther attention. At the end of the sound track on the film I5, a notchI52 is provided along the under edge of the film, Fig. 10, to operatethe head lift motor 5I by permitting the switch M3 to close. In the formherein shown, the film is carried through a locating box H4, surroundingthe switch M3 to have a light spring I I5 in contact with the lower edgeof the film. The free end of this spring II5 normally holds an arm ofthe switch H3 in open position so that when the arm i I5 drops into thenotch IIZ, the switch II3 may close. The closing of this switch I I3completes a circuit from the terminal 58 through the wire It, wire 95,wire I I 6, motor 5I, wire In, switch 61, and wire 55 and wire e2 backto terminal 63. Thus the motor 55 is set in operation to revolve the cam38 and lift the head 25 back to its initial inoperative position withthe pin 40 resting on the latch pin 4i. Immediately the cam 48 leavesthe roller 52, a switch III carried in a locating box IIII, Figs. 1, 9and ll, closes. This closure in the present form is obtained bypermitting the contact to be made between the opposing arms of theswitch H5 through the hole I20 in the film adjacent to notch I I2. Thehole I20 is preferably surrounded by a grommet of any material whichwill prevent the possible slight are occurring from causing anparticular damage to the film. The momentary closing of the switch II8,effected in the manner described by moving the film, closes a circuitfrom the winding II, through the switch I28, wire 'IZI, relay windingI22, wires I23 and 8'! back to the winding II. The relay winding I 22,when thus energized, opens the switch 55 whereby the winding 85 ispermitted to release the selector dial 80 to allow it to return to itsinitial position; de-energizing the Winding 90 to stop the film drivingmotor 31; de-energizing the Winding 55 to stop the flow of currentthrough the transformer Winding 69 and cut off the current to thephoto-electric cell, exciter lamp and amplifier, thereby returning allof the members to their initial condition, ready for a second operation, all as above described.

It is understood that the film I5 will travel a slight distance afterthe switch II8 has been closed so as to carry the notch II2 on beyondthe switch arm H5 and to again open the switch I It by carrying the filmperforation therebeyond. This over-travel is taken care of by use of ablank portion of film between the beginning and the ends of the soundtracks. The head 25 lifts and drops while the blank portion of the filmtravels across the plate 30. As the switch 55 is opened by the magnetI22, the arm 58 is pulled out of the path of the coin I2 so that thecoin may roll on down the chute.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in one particularform, it is obvious that structural changes may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and I theretime do not desireto be limited to this precise form beyond the limitations as may beimposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a selecting means, a rotatable dial carrying a plurality of fingerengagements for dial rotation, a stop against which the finger will abutto limit dial rotation, a member switch operating adjacent said stop andshifted as the finger comes to rest against the stop, a spring normallyreturning the dial to an initial position, latch means operated by saidmember holding said dial in its rotated position against the pull ofsaid spring, and a plurality of electrical contacts interengaged inaccordance with the degree of rotation of the dial.

2. In a selecting means, a rotatable dial carrying a plurality of fingerengagements for dial rotation, a stop against which the finger will abutto limit dial rotation, a member switch operating adjacent said stop andshifted as the finger comes to rest against the stop, a spring normallyreturning the dial to an initial position, latch means operated by saidmember holding said dial in its rotated position against the pull ofsaid spring, and a plurality of electrical contacts interengaged inaccordance with the degree of rotation of the dial, said latch meanscomprising an electro magnet having a latching armature interengagingwith an arm connecting with said member, said member further effectingan interconnection with said dial in its latched position.

3. In a selecting means, a rotatable dial carrying a plurality of fingerengagements for dial rotation, a stop against which the finger will abutto limit dial rotation, a member adjacent said stop and shifted as thefinger comes to rest against the stop, a spring normally returning thedial to an initial position, latch means operated by said member holdingsaid dial in its rotated position against the pull of said spring, and aplurality of electrical contacts interengaged in accordance with thedegree of rotation of the dial, said latch means comprising anelectro-magnet having a latching armature interengaging with an armconnecting with said member, said member further effecting aninterconnection with said dial in its latched position, a switch closedby travel of said member, an electrical circuit including saidelectro-magnet and said switch.

4. In a phonograph, a plurality of sound records, means electricallyreproducing sound from the records including a head relatively shiftablewith said records, electro-magnetic means, determining the relativelocation between said head and said records, and means selectivelyoperating said electro-magnetic means, and location selecting meanscomprising a rotatable dial carrying finger abutments corresponding tothe locations, a stop in the path of the finger to limit dial rotation,electrical switch means operated by dial rotation, and an electricalcircuit including said electro-magnetic means and said switch means, anelectro-magnetic stop for retaining'said dial in the selected position,switch means rendering said magnetic stop operative in each of the dialselected positions, and a switch actuated upon predetermined travel ofsaid records rendering said magnetic stop means inactive.

5. In an electrically operated phonograph, a film carrying a pluralityof sound tracks thereon, a motor moving said film in one direction, asound reproducing head shiftable across the film for selectivepositioning at any one of the sound tracks, a master switch initiatingphonograph operation, stops in the path of said head determining saidpositioning, a selector mechanism rendered operative by closing of saidmaster switch, means controlled by said mechanism selectively shiftingsaid stops, an electrical circuit including said film motor, a switch insaid circuit closed by operation of said mechanism, means for shiftingsaid head back to an initial position following the passage therepast ofa predetermined length of film, means actuated by said passage forsetting said shifting means into operation, and means also actuated bypredetermined travel of said film for opening said master switch.

6. In an electrically operated phonograph, a film carrying a pluralityof sound tracks thereon, a motor moving said film in one direction, asound reproducing head sliiftable across the film for selectivepositioning at any one of the sound tracks, a master switch initiatingphonograph operation, stops in the path of said head deter mining saidpositioning, a selectormechanism rendered operative by closing of saidmaster switch, means controlled by said mechanism selectively shiftingsaid stops, an electrical circuit including said film motor, a switch insaid circuit closed by operation of said mechanism, means for shiftingsaid head back to an initial position following the passage therepast ofa predetermined length of film, means actuated by said passage forsetting said shifting means into operation, and means also actuated bypredetermined travel of said film for opening said master switch, saidhead being raised to an upper position as said initial position by saidshifting means, and said head being allowed to drop by gravity therefromagainst said stops.

'7. In an electrically operated phonograph, a film carrying a pluralityof sound tracks thereon,

a motor moving said film'in one direction, a sound reproducing headshiftable across the film for selective positioning at any one of thesound tracks, a master switch initiating phonograph operation, stops inthe path of said head determining said positioning, a selector mechanismrendered operative by closing of said master switch, means controlled bysaid mechanism selectiveiy shifting said stops, an electrical circuitincluding said film motor, a switch in said circuit closed by operationof said mechanism, means for shifting said head back to an initialposition following the passage therepast of a predetermined length offilm, means actuated by said passage for setting said shifting meansinto operation, and means also actuated by predetermined travel of saidfilm for opening said master switch, said stop shifting means comprisingelectromagnets and said selector mechanism including switch meansselectively brought into circuit with said magnets.

8. In an electrically operated phonograph, a film carrying a pluralityof sound tracks thereon, a motor moving said film in one direction, asound reproducing head shiftable across the film for selectivepositioning at any one of the sound tracks, a master switch initiatingphonograph operation, stops in the path of said head determining saidpositioning, a selector mechanism rendered operative by closing of saidmaster switch, means controlled said mechanism selectively shifting saidstops, an electrical circuit including said iiim motor, a switch in saidcircuit closed by operation of said mechanism, means for shifting saidhead back to an initial position following the passage therepast of apredetermined length of film, means actuated by said passage for settings6 id shifting means into operation, and means also actuated bypredetermined travel of said film for opening said master switch, saidstop shifting means comprising electromagnets and said selectormechanism including switch means selectively brought into circuit withsaid magnets, an electro-magnetic lock in said mechanism retaining it ina selected position against normally returning spring means, said lockmagnet being energized upon closing of said switch in said motorcircuit.

JOHN ROBERT LONG.

